Attachment for caskets



(No Model.)

1V1. ALTMEYER. ATTAGHMENT FOR, GASKETS.

No. 573,124. Patented Dec. 15, 1896.

UNITED STATES ATENT ()FFICE.

MATIII'AS ALTMEYER, OF \VI-IEELING, WVEST VIRGINIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR GASKETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,124, dated December 15, 1896.

Application filed August 6,1896. smart. 601,869. (No model.)

7'0 (.LZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, MArHIAs ALTMEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Gaskets, Coffins, the. and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention is a device for preventing caskets and coffins from slipping as they are being lowered into graves; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, which fully illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a side View of a casket provided with my attachment, the attachment being shown in the position it has when the casket is being lowered. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the attachment inits normal position, and Fig. 3 is a detail rear elevation of the attachment.

covering or base-plate A, which is secured to the casket at the lower edge of the same, one of the plates being provided near each end of the casket. The base-plate is constructed with a quad rantal slot B,runnin g from a point near the upper edge of the plate downward toward the end of the casket, and in its rear side a recess 0 is formed in the plate. YVithin this recess and at or near the lower edge of the plate I pivot a bent lever D, having one end provided with a stud or handle projecting outward through the slot and its other end free, as clearly shown.

In practice the device is attached to the casket or coffin, as shown and just described, and the lever D is turned up, so as to be entirely within the recess in the rear side of the plate. When the casket is ready for the interment, the levers are turned downward so as to cause their free ends to project below the bottom of the casket, and the loweringstraps are then passed under it in the usual manner adjacent to and bearing against the inner edges of the stops or projecting ends of the levers. The casket is then lowered in the ordinary manner.

It will be observed that I have provided an attachment for caskets and coffins which is very simple in construction and which can be readily applied at a trifling expense. When not in use, the stops or angle-levers are turned up, so as to be entirely out of the way, and when turned down they form stops or rests to hold the casket above the bottom of the rough box and thus ease the operation of withdrawing the lowering-straps. While being lowered it is impossible for the casket to slip, as should one end tilt it will be at once thrown against the strap, one edge of the stop coming into contact with the edge of the strap and the other edge of the same being thrown against the side wall of the recess in the covering-plate. In carrying out my invention I employ a Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An attachment for caskets and coffins consisting of a swinging stop applied to the side of the same at the lower edge thereof.

2. An attachment for caskets and cofiins consisting of a covering or base-plate provided with a quadrantal slot, and a bent lever pivoted on said plate and provided with a stud or handle projecting through the said slot.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MATHIAS ALTMEYER. lVitnesses:

J. H. KNEHLBORN, -IIEINRIOH DEENNONBERG. 

